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Saturday, May 30, 2009

A Simple Fix for a Stuck Shutter

For those of you owning Canon A400 series (A400 through A490), please see this link after trying the below troubleshooting steps, as you may also be experiencing a broken shutter ribbon cable.

A stuck shutter is a common failure mode for digital cameras. Unfortunately some model cameras experience this more than others. I won't say which but you'll likely notice in the comments section which cameras these are. The symptoms of a stuck or "sticky" shutter are very similar to CCD image sensor failure. The camera may take black pictures (for shutter stuck closed), or the pictures may be very bright and overexposed, especially when taken outdoors (for shutter stuck open). To confirm a stuck shutter, put the camera in any mode other than "Auto", and turn the flash OFF (you don't want to blind yourself for the next step). Next look down the lens and take a picture. You should see a tiny flicker in the center of the lens as the shutter opens and closes. If no movement is seen, then you likely have a stuck shutter.

If you did see movement, then you are possibly experiencing CCD image sensor failure. As mentioned, the symptoms of a stuck shutter are very similar to CCD failure. If you own a Canon or Sony camera, please see the following two articles instead as your camera might possibly be eligible for free repair:

Unfortunately, actual mechanical repair of a stuck shutter is labor intensive as the mechanism is buried deep inside your camera. If the camera is out of warranty the cost of this repair is usually very high, and may be more than the value of the camera. Would not recommend trying to open your cameras to repair this yourself, as it's very unlikely that you'll succeed. However, there is something simple that you can try that might unstick it, albeit it may be only a temporary fix. Also would not recommend that you do this on a perfectly working camera, as I'm not sure what the power interuptions may do to the camera. As usual, only think of doing this procedure as a last resort for a camera that repair cost is out of the question, and as such the camera would otherwise be set for disposal:

Step 1. Turn the camera on. Also turn off any features that may be a power drain to the batteries. You want all available power from the batteries for the following steps. Turn off image stabilization if your camera has that feature. Put the camera in any mode other than Auto, and turn off the flash. Also turn off the LCD screen (press the DISP or DISPLAY button).

Step 2. Move the camera to any mode that will give you the longest exposure time without flash. For many Canon cameras this will be shutter priority (Tv) mode (for many Canon A models the wheel with AUTO,M,Tv,...). For some of the Canon SD models this is also known as "Long Shutter Mode" (select the Moon/Stars icon).

For cameras other than Canon, set the camera so that it will take the longest possible exposure, usually 15 seconds (15"). Many cameras may not have shutter priority mode (Tv). Instead, put the camera in manual mode and turn off the flash. With these settings, try the fix in a darkened room, opening the battery door immediately after taking the picture. The darkened room without flash should give you a prolonged exposure, hopefully giving you enough time to conduct Step 4 while the shutter is trying to move.

Step 3. Take a picture.

Step 4. After 7 seconds open the battery door for a few seconds and then close it again. The intent is to momentarily interupt power during the exposure time. Note that you may also open the battery door immediately after pressing the shutter button if your camera is not capable of taking 15 second exposures.

Step 5. Repeat the procedure until the shutter becomes unstuck. One person reported on Fixya doing this 15 times before his shutter became unstuck.

Supposedly the power interuption while the shutter is trying to open can "jog" the shutter open. Some people have reported success with this method, and they noted that it required many tries.

Step 5a. Alternative Fix (use caution!). Please use common sense and care if you decide to try this technique, as there is some obvious potential for further damaging your camera with this step. If the above five steps don't work after many repeated tries, several readers have reported success in jogging the shutter open by tapping the camera against a wooden surface.

Step 5b. Alternative Fix b. If 5a scares you, others have reported success with an alternate method of merely extending the lens and then gently tapping around the extended lens barrel with a pen or pencil. Every once in a while check down the barrel to see if you notice lens flicker when taking a picture. If none noted, continue tapping. I have personally repaired two different Canon SD1000's by merely gently flicking the end of the lens barrel with the tip of my index finger while taking a picture.

Gently Tapping Around the Extended Lens Barrel

Anonymous reader of July 25th offers two more Steps:

Step 6a: In a very dark room to open the camera's iris, switch back and forth on the selector dial from picture taking mode to playback mode. Keep switching back and forth between modes until the shutter opens. Gently tap on the lens housing with a pencil or pen while conducting these cycles.

Step 6b: Again, in a very dark room, place the camera in shooting mode and then open and close the battery cover. No need to place the camera in Tv mode or set to 15 second exposure. Any shooting mode will do while you open and close the battery door. Keep repeating until the shutter opens. Gently tap on the lens housing with a pencil or pen in between tries.

IMPORTANT, Post-Repair Step: If you succeed in fixing your camera, note that this may also be only a temporary fix, and you may be required to do it again. To minimize this potential, place the camera in "Continuous Shutter" mode, and take a large amount of pictures continuously to attempt to lubricate the shutter (you can delete those pictures later). Also, try to use your camera more often as another preventative measure from reoccurrence.

Note that cameras with shutters that are stuck open (overexposed pics) can be particularly difficult to repair with the above techniques. But I do know that Step 5b can work for both stuck open and stuck closed shutters (of those SD1000's that I've repaired, one was stuck open). Hopefully you'll be lucky too. But if not, it may be time to consider retiring the camera.

Finally, please comment below whether you succeeded or not with this technique along with your camera model. Also note how many tries you gave it. If you know of another method, please also report that here.

Hi,I have a Samsung S600 digimax camera, the shutter is always wide open and the picture taken is over exposed. I try your method but seems not able to close the shutter. The longest setting I could set to interrupt is 8s only not 15s for cannon.

hi, I have a canon a550. It fell 12 feet and had a bath but still worked, and after a year, the shutter became stuck. I think it is open because pictures tend to be overexposed. I tried your advice but to no avail. only the video option seems to be functional. But thanks anyway. Your site is very helpful.

I'm glad it worked for you all, but really I am curious as to what make/model cameras experience such problems. I've encountered a few in my camera repair hobby, and it always seemed to be the same models. Was it just coincidence? Don't know. But please include that information in your comments too.CR

I have an Olympus FE-240 and my camera fell on my deck. When i went to turn the camera on I noticed the lens was stuck. I tryed many methods and nothing is working for me. I don't want to spend more money to fix it or buy a new camera. Help me !

Thank you. Our Canon S2 IS had a problem with sticky shutter. I used your fix technique to successfully unfreeze it. It took 15+ tries before finally freeing. The weather has been quite cold at 8 to 18 degrees C. After some attempts I held the camera in front of the air con heater outlet for a while then had success after a few more tries. Thanks again & CheersKeato

hello,i have a canon powershot SD 750 and i tried what was mentioned above and i got fed up after the 12th time. so i decided to lightly hit it against my hard wood floor and the lens opened up again!:)

Vow! It Worked!I got a Canon S2 Is. The first time the shutter got stuck it was in warranty. This time it got stuck pretty hard and I was about to retire it until I found a solution here and after five tries it got fixed!

I posted earlier that it appeared that I had a fix but didn't leave details. I have a S2 IS and trying your solution worked OK at the time, but it still drops back to a stuck shutter (pain 'o' pain when significant other needs a quick flik)

Am tossing up whether to repair or (try) to perm fix myself. Prof repair seems pointless given the cost, but I am willing to try self fix if there were appropriate guidelines etc available.

I know that you have done the tutorials on replacing LCD screens. Do you have anything similar for the stuck shutter?

Crossing fingers in hope, but I note that subsequent posts from mine are having the same problems with the model I have.

Maca,Sorry, I don't. Such a fix is very involved and gets very deep inside the camera and its lens. The problem is a minute amount of crud / sand / dust / corrosion working its way to the shutter to create friction to jam it. The power surges from opening & closing the battery door can sometimes open it. One reader found that rapping the camera against wood can also sometimes overcome the jam. Some readers have also stated that using their cameras more often can keep them running problem free.CR

Thanks a lot.This is the second time in a week that I have this problem with my canon Ixus 70 and am now pretty certain that the shutter is stuck closed. I tried tapping it on a cloth padded bblock of wood and then tried the same while holding the shutter open (manual, flash off etc.)and the second time it reopened and everything's woking hunky dory.Thanks for the tip and hope it stays that way!Herodotus.

Well Anonymous with the SD750 and Herodotus with the IXUS 70 encouraged me to try something. I have an SD1000 with a stuck OPEN shutter that I had no desire to dissect to its lens level (was keeping it as a parts camera only). Pictures were way over exposed with wavy lines, especially when taken outdoors. But encouraged by the two intrepid adventurers above, I dug out this old camera from my parts box and commenced to tapping its side against wooden furniture. Low and behold the camera and its shutter are working properly again. Thus this is a valid fix for shutters stuck both open AND closed.CR

hey, nice blog:) okay, mine is Canon A60, I've tried your 5steps more than 30 times but it doesnt work. and finally, i decided to try 5a step and nothing happened. i'm pretty sure that the shutter is stuck because the symptoms are exactly the same with my camera. do you have another way to fix it? pleaseeeeeee. im very upset

Vinska,Don't be upset. I do have another way to fix it. These symptoms are more likely to be a CCD image sensor failure for your particular model camera. As such, you won't need to fix it as Canon will do it for free, with free shipping too!. See this article from the blog.

vinska,It's possible that it is moving, and that you're just not noticing it. Also it's highly unusual for an A60 to encounter a stuck shutter, but extremely likely for it to encounter CCD failure. I would recommend letting Canon make the decision.

When you contact them, just describe the symptoms that you're experiencing (black pictures, if this is the case), and that you'd like to submit the camera for evaluation and possible free repair under the CCD advisory (that's all you need to say, nothing else). Canon's technicians will evaluate. If its shutter failure, they'll give you an estimate that you can decline. Just have them send the camera back. But again, I think it's more likely to be CCD failure, in which case they'll simply repair it for free.CR

my powershot sd750 had the same problem - i tried the shutter thing and the tapping on furniture thing so not sure which one worked but am so grateful it is now working. it is such a great camera and i almost threw it away! thankyou.

Anonymous,Rotate the top mode selector knob to Tv. Then press left on the right/left selector until 15" shows on your screen. You can try this method, BUT I sincerely doubt that your experiencing a stuck shutter with a S1 IS.

If it's taking black pictures, your model camera is more likely to be experieng failure of the CCD image sensor. This is good news for you in that Canon will repair your model camera for free if this occurs. See this link.CR

Wished I would have looked this up before the family reunion this past weekend! My Canon S2 IS was doing the sticky shutter dance, too. ONE try and your solution worked!! Thank you, thank you. You just saved us a bundle!

I did steps 1 to 5 about thirty times without success. Then I slammed it on a wooden table at both sides, bottom and back; with the camera on, off and during 15" exposure, until my girlfriend scolded at me to be quiet.I then hit it as hard against my knee as I could take without saying "auch", again from all sides, and multiple times.

No success whatsoever.

Canon sucks. I had discussions both with Canon ánd their official, independent repair centre, without any success. They refuse to take responsibility for this production flaw.

im very merciful for your help.i ask u: i have a s1 is and which mode is the long exposure time. i tried on tv mode as u advice than my camera is working now. god bless u. thank u very much.im from turkey and im an engineer.msn: dogukan3351@hotmail.com

My Canon Powershot S3IS hasn't had a lot of use in recent months. This solution worked perfectly in only 7 tries. I paid $600 for this camera, and that was a lot of saving to get. Thank-you you are AWESOME!!

Hi,I have a Canon SD1000 and was wondering what the setting is for the longest exposure time. Also, is it likely for this model to experience CCD failure? I honestly can't tell which of the two problems applies for my camera. Thanks!

At first there was still images but it was very dark. Then is became totally black. When I brought it down to the customer service center, they said it's a shutter problem because they don't see the shutter opening and closing. I asked to to investigate to make sure it's not a CCD issue. After 2/3 days, they still says it's a shutter problem.

I have tried this simple fix many many many times and it didn't work.

So I guess my camera is dead forever. Do you have anymore other suggestion? I'm very keen to open my camera all the way but I can't figure it out. Any pictures or diagrams?

Anonymous with an A80,First, did you confirm no visible shutter movement down the front of the lens, or do you see a flicker there? If you do see that flicker movement, you might want to go back and argue with Canon again.

Now I hesitate to show you this, as I really think your chance of success by manually going in there is very slim. This is a disassembly of a very similar A95. Sorry, it's in Estonian, but the pictures are very instructive.

HelloWent to the place where I bought my Canon S2 IS. He said that it probably was something with the sensor and that a repair would be too expensive. His advise: Thrash it. I found you and tried the solution and wow it worked. After about 10 times. I am going back and telling him about your site. He did not tell me anything about Canons offer without of charge had it be the sensor. It is a great site you have. Thanks a lot.ER

Suroor,Now the A430 is not capable of taking 15 second exposures as recommended for the fix. Instead try setting the camera to manual mode, turn off the flash, go to a darkened room, and take a picture. Open the battery door while the red and yellow light are flashing.

If after many tries this does not work, then consider possibly trying Fix #5a on the site. But do so with the camera turned off and the lens retracted to lessen the chance of possibly damaging the lens mechanism.

Please come back and let us know if you had any success or not. I'm looking for alternative techniques for this problem for cameras like yours that are not capable of extended shutter operation.CR

Holy cow -- can't believe it -- believe it or not this actually worked! My son was ready to throw this camera in the trash, he left it with me (mom), I read your article and voila! Thanks so much -- now lets hope it stays fixed!

I have a Canon S2 IS. I tried the technique at least 15 times before I got the shutter to open completely. I could see a sliver after just 6 times and steadily became a wider and wider pie wedge until it opened completely. The shutter appears to be working correctly now, however, I'm seeing a strange interlacing on the pictures it takes almost as is every other row on the sensor is dark.

S2IS - did the mention fix 20 times, knocked on knee every 5th time from all sides.... presto started working. Once working, used the feature "snap 3 pictures in a row with one click" hundreds of times to "work" the iris. So far so good. Thanks for the help.

I have a Powershot A720 IS. The LCD was blank and the shutter must have been stuck. I tried solution steps 1-5 about 7-8 times (starting losing track) and the LCD starting displaying again. I would say that this solution does work. Thank you for the information.

Hi, Thanks for your awesome forums that have been so much help to many people. I posted a comment on June 26 tanking you for the info on stuck shutter of canon S2IS. Since the fix the camera is taking underexposed & out of focus pics. I have tried the "reset defaults" procedure a couple of times with no success.( Press menu 5 seconds+ & select reset/OK)Do you have any more suggestions?

I have a S3 IS and this "fix" has worked for me. However, I usually have to do it every time I use the camera -- which is once or twice a week and I have to "fix" it several times during shooting. The picture quality is still great.

Hi there, I have a canon ixus 800 is, which has a problem with very very bright pictures, however when the optical zoom is engaged at 4X, it takes pictures perfectly, also I can see the shutter open and close at 4X but not at nil zoom, does this sound like a stuck shutter?please helpMJ

Hi Camera Repair, i accidentally had my hand in front of the -metallic part that expands (photographic lens?)- while turning my IXUS 860 on. This causes now my camera A. To make a funny clicking sound while the photographig lense expandsB. Autofocuse not to work. (manually it works better).

I wonder if you think the following steps are suitable to try, or have any other suggestions?

My close friend managed to dismantle my A80 camera all the way by following the guide.

Difficulty faced when the flex cable needed to be de-soldered. After that we are able to access the shutter unit.

Managed to dismantle until the last picture showing the lens's shutter unit. After making sure that the shutter is working, we decided to place it back.

After that, we found that the flex cable for the lens's shutter broke after trying to place it back. We use had use extreme care when doing this operation. So, we conclude that the flex cable is most probably half broken already.

This explains the dark images followed by total blackout a few days later.

Cause: Most probably due to temperature, wear and tear, etc.

Moral of the story. Don't turn your camera on/off or zoom in/out too often. This flex cable have to be bent every time.Don't expose your camera to high temperature. I think this would make the flex cable more brittle also.I like to do these things to my camera and bring it out to take photos even on hot sunny days.

worked for my Canon S2 IS. fix may have to be reapplied often. seems all the canon powershot cameras are affected by this problem. it should involve a class action suit as some are EXPENSIVE cameras!!!

Hi,I have a PowerShot A620. My problem seems slightly different -- the LCD is completely black when I'm on Auto (and several other modes), but in are some modes the camera works fine (like Custom, Video).

When I try to take a picture with the Auto mode (showing black screen), it actually works. It's just that before I take a picture, the LDC is completely black.

Could this also be a case of shutter jamming? It seems like the shutter just selectively works...

Sorry all, was out of town on business for my day job that pays the bills.

PC, sounds like you might have accidentally pressed the DISPLAY button on the back of your camera. This manually turns the screen on and off for certain modes with the intent of saving batteries (you'd then use the optical viewfinder in its place). Try pressing it once with the camera turned on.

The two Anonymous with the dismantled A80 and the IXUS 800 IS,Yes, the internal shutter control flex cables can be the cause of this problem for certain cameras. It seems to be a fatigue issue with the cable, especially if the camera owner uses the zoom feature quite often. As example, here's someone who disassembled an A430 to discover the same issue. Unfortunately, there is no simple for this problem, other than replacement of the ribbon cable (a non-trivial task as one of you discovered).

for Charles,Sounds like you're experiencing a "lens error". Please see this post instead . Hope one of the listed steps works for you.

Hi, it seems like Canon cameras are more likely to have this issue.Mine is an SD1100 IS.Yesternight my lens where capturing black and taking a look at them I found that the lens where covereded deep inside (just found out that it is the shutter stuck).I tried gently taps to the camera without any results.I went to sleep thinking about my warranty expired 6 days ago.And this morning I woke up to give it another try and it was working fine again.But, now I ask myself if Canon is really one of the best options as I thought before.

I recently pulled out my Cannon S2 IS and found that it no longer works due to what appears to be a stuck shutter. My wife also has the same model so I tried hers - it also no longer functions for the same reason. I tried jogging them using the advice provided, but no luck. It seems awfully fishy that both cameras no longer function. Any other suggestions or is it time to buy a Nikon?

Hi! The shutters of my Canon S2 IS were firmly stuck. I was quoted R2300 to repair it. Not worth it on an old camera. I tried your advice and after 4 atempts the shutters came loose. I'm thrilled to bits - thank you soooooooo much!

Canon PowerShot A610 model. I've tried this metod for more than 20 times and also step 5a. No result. :( is there a 'master' software reset? (not the one in menu). I've look close to the lens and it's a stuck shutter - CLOSED. Any ideea? Thanks.

I have a Canon SD1000. Tried the long exposure + battery door fix about 20 times and it did not work. Then I tried tapping it against our wooden coffee table .. not sure if that was the fix or if leaving it off for a couple minutes but one of them worked! thanks! :)

I eventually discovered my camera was killing the batteries with it turned off. I got so used to charging the batteries, only to find the next time I wanted to use it, they were flat. I thought it was cuz they went flat on their own over time, but i soon discovered it only took days. So then I started to use my S230. The S2 was out of wty. I figured it was an expensive lesson that not all Canon products are good value. I paid almost list for this camera shortly after it came out. Because it rarely worked, to this day it only has 1300 shots, and a few hundred of those are simply trying all the ideas to unstuck the dreaded black screen. At first it hardy did it. Then became so that it would not give me a screen. I would charge the batteries to use it, only to find black screen. Then I checked and tried the whole common routine of 15 sec. remove batteries after 7 sec routine. Nothing. Then tried tapping, nothing. Did manage to get a slight exposure if i held camera right up toa bright light. But it won't even do that any more. In a cruel ironic twist, the lack of being able to use the camera has made the stuck iris worse, (if that is what is wrong) by sitting around so long being off and not in use. This camera has been a nightmare only months after I bought it, and I believe it has been flattening batteries in OFF mode since brand new. I simply cannot afford this horrendous loss. It is one of the worst purchases I have ever made. What to do? I am tempted to go in and repair as deep as I have to go. I do have some mechanical experience and can solder if need be. If Canon is not going to do right by their loyal owners and issue a Canadian recall, what is a person to do? Is there any detailed info at all regarding the loose wire on the sensor going to the circuit board? Thank you in advance to anyone who can help with any info at all.

Allas, I have a kodak DX4330 with black pictures. No movement whatsover is visible when looking in the lense. The 'power solution'doesn't work neither does the 'tapping method' Maybe ik can spray some silicone in it somewhere? After all, it's dead already :=(

Tried your fix for a friend's camera; Cannon PowerShot A610. Worked on about the 12th time, lucky too, it was about to go through the window! So far it's working but I'm going to recommend their next purchase be a Sony! Thanks for the fix, dealing with Cannon sounded like a road I didn't want to travel.

I have the Canon A620 with a shutter that is evidently stuck in the closed position. I have tried all of the options posted here multiple times. Sadly, the shutter remains stuck. I may have to try adding some hardware (think hammer)...

See my post (August 6, 2009 12:21 AM). Question for Camera Repair: Do you have a tutorial for A610 camera disassembling? I want to see how shutter is working... any draw for it? Still a stuck shutter for my A610! I'll never buy a Canon. Thanks

I have a Canon Powershot S2IS with the black screen. I tried the fix many many times, never got even a glimmer of a picture. Tried lightly tapping it on furniture, still nothing. It's pretty irritating because I've only used it a couple times. Thanks, anyway.

Hi,I had an Olympus µ DIGITAL 800 with a stuck shutter. I tried cutting the power when taking a picture but that didn't seem to help too much. I tried a bunch of things but it finally came unstuck when I turned the flash off, set the shutter speed at about .5", set it to highspeed picture taking, held the button in so it was constantly taking pictures (trying to activate the shutter) and tapped it on its end(the one where the battery access is) with my hand. Hope this helps.

i have an older canon power shot a620 and i don´t use it much. every time the batteries run out and i have the camera on the shutter gets stuck. the first time i got the dreaded e19 errot and it it cost me a lot of money to fix it. this time the screen went black but thanks to your amazign advice i got my camera to work again after only 2 tries. thank you so much

darkhriss,Place the camera in manual mode, and turn off the flash. Take pictures with the camera (flash off/manual mode) in the darkened room. This will give you an exposure time of about 1 1/2 second. Just enough time to open the battery door while the red and yellow lights are flashing. Keep repeating until it unsticks. And possibly consider tapping the camera against the rubber padded power port on its side. This may also help jar open the shutter.

I have a Canon S3 IS that is about 3.5 years old. We'd periodically had shutter problems, where we'd have to power the camera off/on a few times to get it to work.

Well, it sat unused for a long time recently. I turned it on today and found that the shutter was stuck. I tried the battery trick about 50-60 times (lost track, but I did it for about 45 minutes). I periodically performed some "percussive maintenance" as per step #5a, to no avail.

About to give up, I gave it another good thwack, tried the power cycle another couple of times. Still nothing. I turned off the IS feature, did the battery trick, and it worked! I'm so excited!

Now, I don't know if turning off the IS feature actually had anything to do with it at all, but it was an awful lot of coincidence that it worked the first time after doing so.

Thanks for the post!

Now, for my next steps. Most everyone seems to agree that the issue is caused by disuse. I found another post online that suggests this is a hardening of the oil on the shutter. This particular poster fixed the problem more permanently by taking several hundred (400-600) pictures a day over the course of 3 days or so, then using the camera regularly after that. The theory is that this wears down the friction created by the hardening oils on the shutter.

Anonymous,Turning off the IS would make extra power available from the batteries. This very likely would have helped. Have since modified Step 1 to include turning off everything that may be a power drain. Every bit of power from the batteries will be of use to jog the shutter.Thanks very much for your comment,CR

Hi. Some time ago I cleared a stuck shutter on our Canon S2Is using your fix. Since then the photos have been very overexposed particularly in sunlight. I have tried it on Auto, Tv & Av with similar results. I suspect that the aperture ring is stuck also. Have you had any experience with this type of problem?

Canon A610 -still stuck shutter:(Have anyone a tutorial for A610 camera disassembling? Some pics with shutter device? I want to see how shutter is working... Maybe is another cause for this? A broken piece?

I tried the power off while in time mode - Canon S3 IS - took three attempts and voila - screen is back to full color. Many thanks for this - I was not a happy camper - bought this for my wife thinking it was a vast step up from film.

I'd given up on my S2 after 2 months of the dreaded black-screen before I found these forums all over the net. Tried the TV-mode/long-exposure/battery-door method some 20 times with no success. Tried lightly tapping the S2 on my kitchen table a few times and then tried the battery-door method again - success! Thought for sure mine would be the one it wouldn't work on, but it did with persistence.

I just wanna say THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! :) Long story short I got the black screen of death on my sd1100 and after *gently* tapping my camera against the desk and using the method listed, it finally worked again. SAVED ME SOO MUCH MONEY cause I was about to get a new camera. THANK YOU THANK YOU! :)

Thanks!!! My mom has the S2is. She had a stuck shutter and your info really worked. I had to do the 5 steps about 10 times before her camera was back to full use. My mom was worried that she had done something wrong. Now she is back in business taking pictures! I really appreciate your information!!!!

I have a Canon PowerShot S2 IS and the recommended fix of using mode M and interrupting power by opening the battery cover worked for me. However, after each picture I take I have to use the "fix"...every time. So far I only have to do it once or twice to get it to work - but jeez. I know it's an old camera, I adore it though and am sad to think it will get shelved.

Abby,Did you read the update at the beginning of this article? Canon "might" actually be repairing this issue for the S2 IS at no charge. Recommend reading the link. Only way to find out is if you give them a call (1-800-OK-CANON for US and Canada).

Thank you so much! A friend of my mom's asked if I could fix her Canon S2 IS. At first I had no idea what was wrong with it. I Googled the problem (the display was black, but the menus worked) and found your page. I did the shutter/battery fix a couple times then banged it once or twice on a wooden table. I kept alternating between the shutter/battery fix and banging it on the table-- I think I hit it a total of 4 times and did the shutter/battery thing a total of 4 or 5 times. The last time I did the shutter/battery thing I could see my living room through the display! I can't believe something so simple worked! Thanks again!--Katie

Thank you SO MUCH for advices!I tried 1-5 steps 30-40 times and nothing happened, then I tapped the lower part of my camera against the wooden table and now it works perfectly! (the camera is Canon Powershot A620)

My precious little Canon Powershot SD1000 Digital ELPH has returned to life just as it was bound to the Canon Repair Shop. Suddenly and mysteriously it had displayed black screen when attempting to capture snaps and flashing orange/yellow light above LCD. Everything else was working including playback of photo/video. I saw your fix ref: opening battery cover as about to take snap and ...BINGO.....LCD image returns. You just saved me €150. More to the point, you have allowed precious memories to be stored for all the family this coming Christmas. 'An Bothar go néiri leat- bualadh bos mór' (Irish for 'may the road rise to meet you- a big round of applause).

I have a Canon Power Shot S3 and the shutter is stuck open and would not close! I took it to my local camera store, he tried to tap it on a wood surface a few times, nothing happened. I then called up Canon in Virgina, they told me I could send the camera in and it would cost about $130.00 to fix it.

I then read your information about putting the S3 in TV mode, take a picture and after 7 seconds open the battery door for a few seconds and then close it. I did this a total of 8 times in a row and on the 8th try the shutter worked like a charm!

For the black screen of death apparently related to a stuck shutter on my Canon A610, I tried the time exposure de-powering fix at least 20 times and I tried the tapping on the desk top, too. I've recharged the batteries, removed the memory card and tried it again, with no-o-o success at all.

A followup to my experience with the "black screen of death on my Canon A610. I took it to a repair shop and their diagnosis was that the CCD itself was dead and advised me to send it back to Canon for repair. Inasmuch as this has become older technology now and has some dings and use on it, I guess it's time for a new camera.

Hi,I have Canon powerShot S5 IS and it has a stuck shutter. I've tried this method about 10 times...but it still hasn't worked. I also tried tapping it on a hardwood surface, but it is still stuck. Any suggestions?Thanks!

Thx for the info. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Nice to have found this site just in time. Took 12 attempts to "unstick" the shutter on Cannon S2IS. Used the "TV" setting, with 15 second shutter time. Popped the battery door open around 7 seconds later. After the 12th attempt, the shutter seemed to have reset itself.

Stuck shutter - I had the same problem with my Canon S2IS. And this fix worked for me in about 5 attempts. Initially I thought that it had not but after about 10 minutes when I switched on the camera the shutter opened :-) Many Thanks !

I had just emailed Canon as I have an S1 IS and the S2 IS. Well they sent me a free label to ship/fix the Canon S1 IS (will only continue to fix for free till Mar 2010), but said the S2 IS was not under advisory on their website. So I tried your suggested fix about 10 times and eventually it worked! I banged it with my hand a few times as well for good measure and had IS turned off. Thanks for saving my upcoming Christmas memories.

I bought an S2 IS when they first came out, suffered through the dreaded black image and set the camera aside for well over a year. Just for giggles I searched for any news or price change, found your blog and proceeded to use the power off tweak several times and pounded the camera against a stack of magazines - and it is working again. I love low tech fixes for somewhat high tech equipment....Many thanks

Hey!First i wanna thank you so much for this blog...i got a Cannon PowerShot A620 from my Dad's work because they couldnt get it to work anymore and were gonna throw it away since they bought a new one...this camera is a very nice piece of equipment and after interrupting the power 6 or 7 times it worked!! i now have a perfectly working free Digi and am stoked! Thank You SOOOO much for the tips u have no idea how excited i am Peace,Guido420

Gosh that was so easy. My shutter was stuck, while I was out on a hike and had a sunset to sort out. Got home did the tick you described and after only 4 goes I can see and take pictures. Need another sunset now. Thank you so much.

Thanks for the post on the S2IS shutter problem. I've had mine for since 06 and started experiencing this problem recently. I have used and enjoyed the many successful shots I have taken with this easy to use point and shoot camera. I have since stepped up to a EOS 40D which I'm still learning the many wonderful features of but still use the S2IS for video clips for slide shows and special occasions. I tried the 5a fix with a bit of trepidation but it was successful. The problem is probably from not using this camera as much as I did before getting the EOS. Thanks again for the "fix" and explanation.Glad I found your blog.

Hi there. I'm currently having problem with distorted images and videos. I used to fix this problem by simply taking a picture, and it would go away. But now it is permanently stuck on a black screen or distorted colors of black and white.

My camera model is a DSC-T1.I tried all these methods numerous times, like 10 times at least and it has not done anything.

Is Sony still going to fix DSC-T1 cameras with that free service where you pay for shipping?

I'd just like to add my thanks to this long list! S2 1S had the blank screen problem (it's done it before but always cured itself after a couple of 'on-off' panic cycles. Found your blog today, went through the 'long exposure, battery cover off' treatment with no joy, then read a bit further and saw I was doing it wrong (hadn't changed the exposure length so it was still 1/125) (Doh) Did it properly and it sorted it second try. Thanks again. Alex

Thanks for the suggestions on how to fix a stuck shutter. I have a Canon PowerShot S2 IS (which I have enjoyed for 2+ years) that started turning on with a black screen a few months ago. I was just about ready to give up on it when a Google search brought me to your site. First, I tried your long exposure, power interruption technique, but had no luck, so I decided to try the "knock on wood" and it worked! (Actually I knocked it on a thin stack of bills sitting on my kitchen table.) It only took two relatively gentle thuds. Maybe now I'll get a year or two more out of the camera!

I had a stuck shutter on a Canon SD1000. I was unsuccessful using the power interrupt method. Tried it about 20 times. Resorted to the tapping method and it worked! Thanks for the tips! Isn't the internet great for stuff like this? Thanks!

Thank you so much for this resource! Here it is Christmas day and my camera up and died. I didn't realize it was a stuck shutter until I used Google and found this blog. I tried the restart method as many times as I could but then I resorted to the tapping method. I didn't have success with tapping it on a table but then I tried my hand and beat it a lot harder and tada! Thanks!

I have a s2 is and just had the same problem. Was getting ready to take pictures of our 8 inches of snow and the shutter would not open. So I tried this and it worked on the first time. Thank you so much. I am laid off so repair is diffently out of the question. Thanks again

I have an old Canon Ixus II that my son now uses. From your description it sounds like the shutter is stuck. Screen displays white or black lines, sometimes purple, often flashing between black and white. Pictures come out black. Was intermittent, but as a result camera not been used for a while and now not intermittent!

Have tried your power interrupt technique about 15 times, and now tapping sharply with pencil. Change, in that screen is now black (no longer alternating with white) with just slight interference-type lines. Is this a step in the right direction? Should i persevere?

My son loved his camera, and i'd like to get it working for him again!

Hi, I have a Canon S2 IS. I had previously had the same problem (didn't know it) and 'fixed' it by just power cycling the camera. This time power cycling didn't fix it. But, the procedure described here (TV mode, set exposure to 15 seconds, open battery door during exposure) worked after two tries. Great!

FYI, check out this webpage to confirm you have a stuck shutter issue: http://www.bsodpowershotrepair.com/

Yes, it's an ad for a fix. I don't endorse the fix (obviously), but they describe how to tell if you have a stuck shutter.

Anonymous with the example link,Yes that's good example pics of a stuck "close" shutter. But what I find interesting about that eBay ad is the price. That is way too low for the labor involved to open up the camera and properly correct this problem. Makes me think that all they're doing for that amount of money is the steps listed on this blog. You all can do that for free.

Firstly, thanks for this great blog. As I can read it has helped a lot of people and saved thousands in repairs. I started following your steps with the same hope with mu Canon S2 IS but unfortunately after 20-25 attempts it still takes completely black pictures. When I switch the camera in Display mode, I can see the earlier images on the SD card in LCD and in Display. Do you think my camera is also suffering from CCD Image loss and I should try and get in touch with Canon for advisory? I do hear the shutter click everytime I click a photo.Let me know what your opinion is on this.Once again thanks for helping us with such a great blog.

Thanks for the info that it may be a problem with my CCD. I read the link you posted, but it says this is only for those in the US. I'm in the UK. Do you know if a similar arrangement exists here, or should i maybe e-mail the US contact in the first instance?

At least i can stop doing the power interrupt thing - it was becomming an obsession!

Maverick and Lorrie,Do either of you see shutter movement when you look down the lens barrel. It should be very obvious. If no movmement is seen, it is a stuck shutter. If so, you may want to consider Step 5a to physically tap the camera to provide added "shock" to possibly help open the shutter.

And Lorrie,You didn't mention your camera model. If your camera is one of the listed Canon models vulnerable to CCD failure, then Canon UK will fix it for free. Here's the link for the S1 IS (all others are similar).

Maverick,Make sure that you're using the strongest batteries possible. Recommend NiMH rechargeables rated at 2500mah or better. Also be patient. Although you didn't fix it today, give it another try some other day. Have also heard that temperature seems to have some effect with success. Maybe try gently warming the lens with a hair dryer (if that does work, please respond back!).

This is why I love the internet. Was just about to buy a new camera (I have a Canon IXUS 800 that over the past week first had an intermittent overexposed display, then solid black) Thought I had a Image Sensor problem and would have to hassle with Canon Australia...came across Camera Repair's comment re stuck lens...tried the fixes... after a couple of hours tapping etc and reading of others experiences... SUCCESS! I'm so thrilled, thanks Camera Repair and everyone else for contributing!

Thanks for the UK link. I'll try this. I had looked for shutter movement as you suggested in your blog and don't see any. However i've just checked this on my own (working!) camera, set to night mode, and don't see a shutter movement here either! I'm holding it up to my eye and looking down the lense from the front while taking a photo. I'd expected a chink of light, but nothing. Is this right? (got lots of photos of my eye though!)

Lorrie,Not sure why you're not seeing shutter movement, but either way send your camera in to Canon for the repair. Do not mention anything about stuck shutters. Simply tell them the symptoms that you're experiencing (black LCD and downloaded pictures) and that you'd like to have the camera evaluated for the free repair under the advisory. Good luck.

I called up CANON Support and he said my camera (S2 IS) is not on the list for the ones mentioned in CCD Image issue.

He did request me to reset the camera but even that didnt work.

He has requested me to ship the camera for evaluation where they would check if the issue is with the struck shutter or CCD Image. If that's the case they would do a one time repair free else they would let me know the charge.

They didnt provide a shipping label as the camera is not in his list.

Do you suggest I turn in the camera to canon before trying anything else myself as they would check for abuse or mishandling.

Maverick,Recommend sending it in to Canon for the free "one-time" repair of the stuck shutter issue. You'll likely pay for shipping, but you'll get a thorough repair of the camera. They'll actually go deep inside the camera and clean the gunk that's causing the shutter to stick (not a trivial task by any means). This will be a lasting fix, and for free, so go for it!

Just an update - i've phoned my nearest Canon repair centre (from the link you sent me), and they were very familiar with the problem. I'll take the camera (Ixus II) in to them next week, and they will give me a free estimate, and repair for free if the problem is the CCD. Thanks!

wallap CR,I have a powershot A630 and it always get shutterstuck sick then recorvers all by itsef. recently it refused to work and i tried the quick fix 15+ times but no succes, so i bumped it once on my wooden chair holding down the shutter button and it jus flashed okay. Thanx 4 the repair tip.

Hi, S3 works fina again :)I had the same symptoms. I tried almoust 10 times and I was dissapointed, but then it was 15 or 16 time and shutter unblocked!!! Thanks man you saived my life with my Canon S3 is working again.

As you suggested, I determined problem was the shutter from looking down into lens while taking pic--no movement. You suggested shutter may become stuck from inactivity so before trying your "last resort" solution I began clicking shutter over and over in different modes. And voila, image came back!Thanks for the hints.

Hi. I had the problem with my Canon Ixus 70. The battery trick didn't work so, after a dozen tries, I taped it on the table and it worked! Thnaks a lot for the tip, the guy at the camera shop where I bought it was not even able to identify the problem. Your post helped me to find what was wrong and to fix it, fantastic.

Wow! It worked! I had a stuck shutter on my A620 - I tried this trick and after three goes the black screen had gone and I have the picture back. The camera is 5 years old but takes great pictures, but in the last 6 months it has seen very little use. I seriously thought it was replacement time. Maybe this has just postponed the inevitable, or maybe I should just use it more often so the shutter does not get stuck.

Anonymous,The latter. The A620 is still an awesome camera even by today's standards. Take a look at the going price for used ones on eBay. I also own an A620, and it's my "Baby". For some reason, none of my other many Canon cameras can match its performance. You just need to use it more often.

I fixed my Canon S2 after two tries. This was a great blog and a great fix. I had considered the trade program at canon and also looked at the E-bay guy who is offering to fix stuck shutters for 49 bucks. My guess is He found your solution and is profiting from it.

I was in a panic when this happened to my camera today. I am an avid scrapbooker and would be lost without my camera. I am not in a position to buy a new camera and love my S2. Thank you so much for posting this fix - I tried it 6 times before the shutter started working again

I found this blog by accident while I was researching whether it was worth it to pay Havel Camera Repair $188 to fix my Canon S2. Havel Camera told me it was a bad image sensor. I tried your "trick" 4 times before the shutter became unstuck! You are awesome, thanks!

Thank you so much for the help. Thought I had a big problem (here in Dubai not customer care) but it was a sticky shutter and a few long exposure pictures plus a GENTLE tap on the desk managed to get it unstuck.

YAY! It worked!I have a Canon SD750 and I went to use it today and the LCD screen was black, but still showed all the icons. When I would take a picture and review it, it was black, but I could view all of my older photos, so I knew it was not a display problem.I tried your first solution about 12 times and it didn't work. So I lightly banged the side of my camera against my wooden door frame and VOILA! My screen is back to normal and the camera is taking pictures again. THANK YOU!

I've been having problems with my Canon EOS digital rebel. Shutter gets stuck after one shot. The blades don't quite fall back into place. Have tried all of the battery pulling fixes, tried this one, and it still didn't work. I've taken close to 20 000 shots with it, so I have a feeling it's a mechanical problem.

I was about to go on a trip and thought it best to make sure the camera is 100% and low and behold I have this black screen issue. Its the Cannon S2IS. I have tried opening the battery compartment (20+ times) and tapping it but no avail. Which side is it best to tap it on? and should the camera be on or off?

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Why this Blog?

PLEASE READ THIS !Oh no! You've dropped your digital camera. And it's out of warranty. And repair costs more than the camera is worth. What to do short of tossing the camera (or selling on ebay)? Well, believe it or not the average person has a good chance of diy fixing that camera themselves. All they'll need for most cases is some patience, and a little background knowledge. The intent of the posts on this blog are to help provide that knowledge.

But now for the WARNINGS! Many of the repairs posted here should only be considered as a last resort for a broken camera that would otherwise be considered for disposal. Also please consider those repairs that require removing the camera case to also require some electrical background and knowledge, and should not be attempted by anyone unfamiliar with basic electrical components and safety precautions.

Make sure you read this post and are aware of the potential DANGER OF SEVERE ELECTRICAL SHOCK should you decide to proceed with a "do it yourself" repair that involves removing the camera case.

WHAT YOU READ HERE IS NOT PROFESSIONAL ADVICE. Most of the posts and comments in this blog come from amateur repair hobbyists (INCLUDING MYSELF). Take the advice with a grain of salt. YOU MAY ACTUALLY MAKE MATTERS WORSE by following what you read here. Many of these repairs will almost certainly VOID YOUR CAMERA'S WARRANTY.

It's ultimately YOUR RESPONSIBILITY should YOU DECIDE to try some of the repairs posted here.

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